DESIGN STORY: GET THE BAG

Summer is finally here so why not enjoy it à la mode? Let Jamaican-born style maven and PIN–UP muse Akeem Smith walk you through three little summer style vignettes, from bags to all sorts of other riches.

Normally intended for upholstery, the brand-new Myddleton fabric by Wallace Sewell also looks good draped on a body, finds stylist Akeem Smith. (“It’s the less obvious second skin,” he weighs in.) Rendered in the British duo’s signature plaid pattern, the design for the sturdy wool textile was inspired by the work of 20th-century artist Anni Albers (available by the yard through Designtex). The black Phallus Chalice by Seattle-based artist Eric Nelsen (available through Traver Gallery, Seattle), a Michele de Lucchi-designed wooden tray (Quattro Muri e Due Case, available through Alessi), and Eero Aarnio’s classic Rocket stool in jolly red (available through Artek) complete Smith’s picture of perfect domesticity.

THE DOGGY BAG

Nothing says summer like an open-air picnic accompanied by a four-legged friend. Enter PetNic, Alessi’s new travel organizer for the modern dog lover. Designed by Miriam Mirri, it comes in three different color options (green, gray, and pomegranate) and features a detachable lid that can be used as a food and/or water bowl. “I haven’t been to a picnic in years,” says Smith, who is seen napping on the Beverly duvet set from SAFE HOUSE USA’s summer collection, “but next time I go, I’ll definitely be bringing my bitch.” In his case, a six-week-old white Komondor. White cotton shirt by Y–3; Crazy 1 basketball sneakers by Adidas.